Flossing between teeth is recommended for proper dental hygiene. However, the use of dental floss may be difficult for some users. This problem is enhanced for users with poor finger dexterity, users who are missing fingers, or users that have had other hand disabilities.
A number of prior devices have been created to aid in flossing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,594 discloses a dental floss holder that dispenses floss through a hole in the main body of the device. A cavity within the body of the device holds a spool, which dispenses floss to this hole. The body has a curved shape terminating in a pair of forked tines extending from the device body and spaced far enough apart to allow user to introduce a length of floss into the user's mouth and between the user's teeth. The gap has to be sufficiently wide such that the tines can fit between the front and back of a user's teeth. These tines extend sufficiently far from the device's body and are curved to allow reaching teeth at the back of the mouth without inserting the user's hand into the mouth. The floss is strung by the side of the curved tool body between the two tines and along another side of the tool body to a retaining latch. When the user flosses with this device, the user's thumb grips both the floss and the tool, thereby pressing the floss against the side of the tool and creating tension in the floss.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,651 discloses a rigid sickle-shaped tool body having a finger handle at one end of the tool body. The floss is strung between projections on the device body. The projections are adapted to allow multiple strands or loops of floss to be held between a gap on the tool. The handle of the tool is a trigger-like ring through which a user inserts an index finder. The user's thumb rests on the top of the tool, holding a dental floss puller, and the user's middle finger is positioned below the device.
These prior art devices require that a user push the tool to floss between teeth. This pushing may be awkward and cumbersome for some users. Such motion requires at least gripping the floss and device with a number of fingers.
An alternative to the gripping-type devices and method is needed.